We created this site to make information about building performance, building physics, energy and sustainability easier to access and easier to understand.
Like many people working in the built environment, we have often found ourselves trying to quickly understand a topic, check a concept, or make sense of guidance that was harder to follow than it needed to be. Some information is highly technical, some sits behind paywalls, and some assumes a level of prior knowledge that not everyone has.
This site is simply our attempt to make that process a bit easier. Clear, practical and well-referenced information, written in a way that is approachable for people entering the industry while still being useful to those already working in it.
Building Physics vs Building Performance
Building physics and building performance are closely related, but they focus on different things.
Broadly speaking, building physics looks at the principles and calculations behind how buildings behave. Things like heat transfer, airflow, moisture movement, daylight and thermal comfort. It is concerned with understanding and predicting how a building should perform.
Building performance is more concerned with what happens in practice. How the building actually performs in use, how efficiently it operates, how comfortable it is for occupants, and whether it is meeting the targets and expectations set during design.
The two are directly connected. Building physics informs building performance, while building performance helps show whether those design assumptions and calculations translate effectively into real-world outcomes.
| Building Physics | Building Performance |
|---|---|
| Focuses on how buildings are designed to behave | Focuses on how buildings actually perform |
| Concerned with principles, calculations and modelling | Concerned with outcomes, operation and performance in use |
| Includes heat transfer, airflow, moisture movement and thermal comfort | Includes energy use, occupant comfort, ventilation effectiveness and operational efficiency |
| Helps predict and inform performance | Helps assess and measure performance |
What We’ll Be Covering
Our focus on this site will be exploring the fundamentals of building performance, building physics, energy and sustainability in a clear and practical way.
That includes topics related to:
- Building fabric performance
(U-values, thermal bridging, airtightness, insulation and solar gain) - Building physics and environmental principles
(heat transfer, airflow, moisture movement, condensation risk and thermal comfort) - Building services
(heating, cooling, ventilation and operational energy) - Compliance, modelling and sustainability frameworks
(Part L, SAP, SBEM, dynamic thermal modelling, BREEAM, net zero strategies and energy statements) - Design processes and industry practice
(project stages, consultant roles, coordination and building performance in practice)
Over time, we also hope to explore how building performance is approached internationally, including different climates, standards and regulatory systems.
Accuracy and References
We will always aim to keep content practical, clear and grounded in recognised guidance, standards and industry knowledge.
Where topics are uncertain, evolving or open to interpretation, we will try to make that clear.
Building Performance Explained is an independent platform and is not currently affiliated with any organisation that may be referenced on this site.
All content is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and should not be treated as project-specific advice. Regulations, standards and official guidance should always be checked where relevant.
© Building Performance Explained 
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